Path of the Chosen 5: Reality 'N Perfection
by Ferngirl
Summary: Cara is no stranger to seeing people mistreat Pokémon, but she's always found humans who love Pokémon and treat them as family. When she runs into a group bent on freeing Pokémon from the tyranny of humans, Cara's attempts to reason with their leader seem to have little effect. To the contrary, the encounters make her question the very relationship between humans and Pokémon.
1. Chapter 1

Freedom by Capture

"Do you think that's it?"

I nodded. "Yep. See how scared he looks?"

Ben peered through the leaves of the bushes we were hiding behind. "Oh, right."

"Are there any others?" Hari asked in a loud stage whisper. "I don't see any."

I glanced at him, figuring it was useless to tell him to keep his voice down. "I hope not. Should we go with stealth, or force?"

Ben breathed out a soft laugh. "Probably stealth would be best. We can always resort to force if we need to."

"But the guy's standing right next to him," Hari said, a little quieter this time. "We could distract him, and then send someone in to grab the Lillipup."

"It would take time," Ben said.

"I don't feel patient now." I glanced back at the Snivy clinging to my shoulder, and then to the Oshawott standing beside me. "And these guys should be taught a lesson. Stealing a little girl's Pokémon means they deserve a good but-kicking, don't you think?"

Hari grinned and nodded, as did the Oshawott, named Mamoru (though I usually just call him Mo).

Ben gave a wry smile and shook his head. "Somehow that doesn't surprise me."

"You ready, Tsuki? For your first real battle against a bad guy?"

Tsuki, my Snivy, nodded.

"And Mo?" Oshawott stood at attention. "When we start the fight, you run around and get the Lillipup, okay? Bring him to Ben and Hari."

"So there's no point in us staying hidden, I'm guessing," Ben said.

"None at all."

Ben smirked. "Okay. Then go get him, Cara."

"Gladly."

I stood up, as did Ben and Hari behind me. I walked through a gap in the bushes, and the sound of rustling leaves made the man turn towards me. He was wearing some strange white uniform with black leggings, and gray boots, gloves, and cap. There was some sort of symbol printed on the chest of the outfit. Looking at it made me think of the uniforms I'd seen in pictures, of Teams Magma, and Galactic. It gave me a bad feeling.

"What do you want?" he demanded as I approached, Tsuki and Mamoru at my heels.

"Let that Lilliup go," I demanded, gesturing to the frightened Pokémon. Lillipup stood trembling behind the heels of the man. A Watchog was standing nearby making sure the Lillipup didn't escape.

"That's exactly what I'm doing," the man said, crossing his arms. "I'm letting this Lillipup go. It won't have to be tied to humans anymore."

I stared at him. "No. You stole it from a little girl. Give it back. She's heartbroken."

"People keep Pokémon against the Pokémon's will," the man insisted. "The best thing is to release the Pokémon."

"I don't see a liberator. I see a thief. If you don't give that Lillipup back, we'll just take him."

"Hah! As if you could."

"Well, then stop me. Tsuki, go on."

My Snivy sprang out to face our opponent, eager for her first real battle.

The man scowled and sent out his Watchog.

Tsuki charged forward with Tackle. Watchog did the same, and the two collided. Tsuki tumbled backwards and rolled onto her feet. Watchog dashed forward again. Tsuki used Vine Whip, but her attack didn't stop Watchog, who crashed into her again, knocking her off of her feet. Once again Watchog charged, this time using Bite.

"Come on, Tsuki," I muttered under my breath. My eyes flicked to the side as Mamoru dashed behind the battle and stopped beside Lillipup.

Tsuki lashed out with Vine Whip, making Watchog release her. As Watchog shied away from the vines, Tsuki tackled him in the stomach, making him double over. Watchog kicked out, knocking Tsuki away. And as the two faced each other, Watchog used Hypnosis.

"No!" I hissed as Tsuki's eyes drooped and she sank to the ground, fast asleep.

The man looked very pleased with himself as I returned Tsuki to her Pokéball. I'd been stupid to send her out against a Watchog. It was obviously a higher level than her. But she'd been eager to take part in the battle, and I wanted to see how she did.

I pulled out my next Pokéball.

"Battles are usually more fun when the odds are even," I pressed the button on the Pokeball, making it expand. "But I'm done playing around. Polaris!"

I threw out the Pokéball, and from the red light, a Ponyta appeared.

The man laughed. "You think Ponyta are strong? Go, Watchog! Crunch!"

Watchog charged. Polaris spun around, facing away from her opponent. She kicked out with her hind feet and sent the Watchog flying. He landed in a heap at his trainer's feet.

"Gah! Watchog!" he cried, returning his Pokémon. He glared at me. "I don't care if you won. I don't have to give the Lillipup ba-" he broke off as his eyes locked on something behind me. I glanced backwards to see Ben and Hari. Lillipup and Mamoru were standing next to them, watching the battle.

The man glanced around behind him, as if Lillipup might still be hiding back there somewhere.

"Let's go, guys," I said, turning away and picking up Lillipup.

"You-you get back here!" the man exclaimed. I heard him take a couple steps towards us.

_Make him go away, Polaris, _I said irritably, using telepathy.

_With pleasure, _Polaris replied. She sent out a small spurt of flame. The man let out a frightened yelp and fell back. Ben, Hari, Mamoru and I walked away, and Polaris trotted to catch up.


	2. Freedom Speeches

Hello, all!

Finally starting on my new fanfic. It's great to be back. ^-^ I've been looking forward to writing some of these scenes for a long time, I can tell you. I hope all of you enjoy this next installment.

Polaris–Ponyta, Tsuki–Snivy, Mamoru–Oshawott, Tlaloc-Braviary

* * *

Freedom Speeches

"Scruff!" The little girl cried, joyously flinging herself forwards and catching Lillipup up in a hug. Lillipup whined happily and licked the girl's face.

"Thank you so much," the girl exclaimed, looking up at us, here eyes glistening.

"Yep!" Hari said, nodding and grinning.

"Franny, right?" I asked. She seemed to be about seven years old, and her Lillipup was obviously not yet strong enough to look out for them. "Keep Lillipup close for a while. And don't go playing alone. There might be some strange people around, and you don't want to lose him again."

The little girl stood up, holding Lillipup. But her eyes were downcast.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

She hesitated. "Well, the man that took Scruff away, he said that Scruff would be happier if I let him go. Do you think that's true? Do you think Scruff would be happier if he didn't live with me and my parents?"

Ben, Hari and I exchanged glances.

"Well," I said, "You tell me. How does Scruff look right now?"

Franny looked down at Lillpup, who wagged his tail, and let out a yap.

"Um, I think he looks happy to see me."

"Yep," Hari said, nodding and grinning. "But he looked really scared with that man."

"If you ever worry about that," I continued, "about whether your Pokémon is happy with you, ask your Lillipup. He'll find a way to let you know what he thinks. And if you really care about him, you'll find a way to understand. Okay?"

Franny beamed and nodded.

"We'll walk you back to Accumula Town," Ben offered.

"Good idea." In case anyone else tried anything funny.

Gro, Hari's Grovyle who had waited behind with Franny, jumped up onto Polaris's back and lay down with his arms tucked behind his head. I set Mamoru in front of Grovyle, and he took a seat. Our group started towards Accumula Town again, now that we'd gotten through our unexpected side-trip to rescue a Lillipup.

"How old are you?" Franny asked me as Lillipup frisked around her feet.

"Seventeen."

Franny's eyes widened. "Seventeen? I thought you were maybe fourteen." She turned to the brown-haired, green-eyed Ben next, who towered above her (he kind of towers above me too). "Does that mean that you're twenty?"

Ben laughed. "Nope. I'm seventeen also."

"Are you seventeen too?" she asked Hari.

Hari shook his head. "I'm eleven. I think."

Franny looked at all of us again, taking in the differences in height and age. Hari was almost as tall as me, which amazed me every time I thought about it. He was still scrawny, and Ben's shirts were big and baggy on him. He continued to wear shorts all the time, and his dark brown hair was still long and untidy. But he was starting to look a little older than the hyperactive wild kid I met three years before.

Like Hari, my eyes were blue and my hair was rather bushy and untidy. My hair was a dark blonde, and I usually kept it confined to a ponytail, so it wouldn't turn my head into a tumbleweed. Hari seemed to like his hair going every which way. Or at least, he never did anything about it.

"Did you start your Pokémon journey when you were ten?" Franny asked.

Ben and I nodded.

"Yep. And Polaris here was my first Pokémon." I patted her cheek, and Polaris nuzzled my shoulder.

"I don't really do much Pokémon training anymore though," Ben said.

"I don't train at all," Hari added. "I only have Gro, without a Pokéball."

"Are you thinking of going on a Pokémon journey?" I asked Franny.

"I don't know yet."

"Well, you've got a few more years to plan, huh?"

We stepped into Accumula Town.

"My home's right over there," Franny said, pointing across the town square. "Thank you so much!"

"Take care. And take care of Lillipup too." I waved as she headed off across the square with Lillipup bounding beside her. She waved back before disappearing around a small group of people, who seemed to be setting up for some sort of event.

We moved over to the side of the park and I pulled out my Pokéballs. I decided not to let Braviary out in the middle of town, but I did let out my still-sleeping Snivy. I set Tsuki on Polaris's back. There was barely enough room to fit her next to Mamoru and Gro.

"She looks okay," Hari said as he looked Tsuki over. "No real injuries or anything."

"That's good. I'll drop her off at the Pokémon Center tonight, just to be safe."

A few people walked past, and I noticed that a small crowd was starting to gather. The group had finished setting up speakers, and is seemed as though they were ready to begin with a speech of some sort.

"I wonder what's going on."

"It's looks like they're ready to start. Why don't we go check it out?" Ben suggested.

Polaris cleared a path for us so we could move a bit closer to the raised area where the group was standing. One of the people moved up to a microphone. He was wearing a strange purple and gold cloak with large red eyes patterned on the front. There was some sort of symbol printed on the chest piece of his cloak.

"That's a creepy cape," Hari whispered, under the chattering of the crowd.

The sound of voices woke Tsuki, who sat up and glanced around.

Then the man started to speak.

"My name is Ghetsis. I am here representing Team Plasma. Today, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to talk to you about Pokémon liberation."

"I wonder what they mean by that," Ben muttered, as other people in the crowd mumbled similar questions.

I shrugged. "Sounds interesting though. Some Pokémon would benefit from being liberated." I was thinking about those Pokémon used by organizations like Team Rocket. Although there were plenty of common thugs that didn't deserve to use Pokémon either.

Ghetis paused a moment until the noises of the crowd died down. Then he paced along the platform. "I'm sure that most of you believe that we humans and Pokémon are partners that have come to live together because we want and need each other. However, is that really the truth? Have you ever considered that perhaps we humans only assume that this is the truth?"

_What a thing to say, _Polaris huffed, pawing her hoof against the street. I patted her neck, somewhat confused myself.

"Pokémon are subject to the selfish commands of trainers. They get pushed around. Can anyone say with confidence that there is no truth in what I'm saying?"

The crowd murmured again, and Hari fidgeted, glancing around at me. "Are a lot of people like that?" He whispered.

"Only sometimes," I replied quietly. "It's definitely not true of everyone." I'd missed part of the speech, so I turned my attention back to Ghetsis.

"That's right! We must liberate the Pokémon! Then, and only then, will humans and Pokémon truly be equals. Everyone, I end my words here today by imploring you to consider the relationship between people and Pokémon, and the correct way to proceed. We sincerely appreciate your attention."

Ghetsis turned away, and the group around him began to gather the microphone and the flags they'd set up.

The crowd buzzed with mixed emotion.

"Is it really so bad keeping Pokémon?"

"I could never let Woobat go."

"Joltik never really did like to follow my orders…"

"Do you think Pokémon would be happier without us?"

I stared around, bewildered. "I don't believe it. So many people are actually considering releasing their Pokémon because of one speech?" There was truth in what that Ghetsis guy said. Yeah, some people don't deserve to be with Pokémon. And some Pokémon would be better off without people. But that's not always true. People shouldn't blindly trust what's told them. They need to figure out the answer for themselves!

"Hey," Hari said, "I think that guy is releasing his Pidove."

"Seriously?" I exclaimed.

"Well," Ben said slowly, "maybe the Pidove will be better off?"

"I'm not sure," I said, glancing around the dispersing crowd. "It's selfish people that tend to be the worst towards Pokémon. And it's selfish people that are the least likely to release a Pokémon just because he thinks it might make the Pokémon happy. Like Team Rocket would never release their Pokémon."

"That's true," Ben said, "But there may be other circumstances going on. Maybe that guy has a reason to think his Pidove would like to be free?"

"Maybe," Hari said uncertainly, "he doesn't' understand his Pokémon enough to know if it wants to stay with him. If he doesn't understand his Pokémon that much, would he not deserve to be with the Pokémon?"

"I don't know." I unintentionally moved closer to Polaris, as if someone would try to take her and the other Pokémon away from me. I looped my arm under her neck and patted her cheek. She pressed her head against my shoulder.

_We won't leave you, Cara_, Polaris promised.

_Yeah! _Mamoru stood and puffed out his chest. _No one's going to take us away. _

_You're just smarter than those other people are, _Tsuki added. _You wouldn't let anyone talk you in to something like that. _

I smiled. "Thanks, guys."

"Your Pokémon…" The unfamiliar voice made me turn to see a boy standing behind me. He had on a white shirt and gray pants, and seemed to be near my age, or a little bit older. A black and white cap on sat on a head of green hair, which was pulled back in a ponytail. He was looking at Polaris and the three Pokémon on her back.

"Huh?"

He glanced at me. "Your Pokémon were saying some interesting things just now."

"Interesting?" I repeated, not quite taking in what he had said.

"Hmm. I suppose you don't hear it either."

"What? No, I did hear it. I just don't know what you mean by _interesting_." The significance of his words finally clicked in my head. "Wait… you're saying you can understand Pokémon too?"

I could speak to Pokémon with my telepathy. And Hari, having grown up with Pokémon, could understand their spoken language. But I had only met a couple other people who shared gifts like ours.

The boy's face lit up. "Do you can hear the voices of Pokémon?"

I nodded. "And so can this one." I gently shoved Hari's shoulder.

"You talk to Pokémon?" Hari asked eagerly.

The guy nodded. "Yes. My name is N."

"N what?" Hari asked.

"I just go by N," he replied.

I raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's nice to meet you, N. My name's Cara."

"I'm Hari."

"My name's Ben."

Hari laughed. "Heheh. Ben and N."

_Yes, it does rhyme_, Grovyle said dryly.

N glanced at Grovyle. "Do you use Pokéballs?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I do if I need to. I like to leave my Pokémon out when I can though."

"So you're trainers?" N asked.

"I am."

"I as well." N continued to look at my Pokémon, as if confused by them. "Though I wonder whether Pokémon are happy when they are trained like this."

I cocked my head. Did that speech get inside his head too? "Well, you can talk to Pokémon, can't you? Why don't you ask them?"

"I have spoken to many Pokémon … but still… Hmm. Would you battle me? If I can hear you Pokémon during a battle, perhaps I can learn something."

"A battle? Yeah, sure. Sounds fun!" The square had cleared enough to leave us room for a battle. I lifted Oshawott to the ground.

"This is Mamoru," I said.

N nodded and stepped back to leave room for the battle. "Then I will use this." He tossed out a Pokéball, and a Purrloin appeared.

N pointed, and Purrlon sprang forward.

Mamoru quickly shot out Water Gun, but Purrloin leapt out of the way and pranced in using scratch. Mo pulled out his shell and blocked Purrloin's claws. The two tumbled to the ground, and Mamoru tried to block Purrloin's scratching. He winced as her nails caught his shoulder. He cuffed her on the side of the head and finally managed to push her off. He used Water Gun, which drove her further away.

But Purrloin countered with Sand Attack, and dust from the streets got in Mamoru's face, blinding him. He stumbled backwards, rubbing at his eyes.

Purrloin sprang.

_Mo! _I called_, Water Gun at two o'clock, a little higher than eye level! _

Mamoru tilted his head upward. He sent out a jet of water that hit Purrloin squarely in the chest. Purrloin skidded to the ground.

N nodded and returned his Pokémon. "I see. I think I learned something. Even so, Pokémon can't achieve their full potential when kept inside Pokéballs." He looked sadly and the ball containing his Purrloin.

"I know what you mean." I knelt to help Mamoru get the dirt out of his eyes. "Some people just leave Pokémon in their Pokéballs all the time. That's okay sometimes, but they shouldn't stay inside all the time."

"Gro has never been in a Pokéball," Hari said proudly.

N nodded. "Still. I wonder if it wouldn't be better for trainers to free their Pokémon altogether."

I sighed and stood up again. "As long as the Pokémon enjoys traveling and battling, I don't think there's any problem with people keeping Pokémon. Pokémon and people… complete each other. You shouldn't let that speech get to you too much. Yeah, that Ghetsis guy did have a point, but you need to decide if what he says is relevant to you. Listen to your own Pokémon, and don't just take the word of some random guy."

N looked at me oddly. "Hmm. I guess you and I are quite different after all."

"Huh?"

"Hi, Cara!"

I glanced around to see Franny running towards us.

"Cara, and Ben and Hari! Mom says I should invite you guys to dinner as thanks!"

Ben and Hari eagerly accepted. I turned back to N, wanting to ask what he meant by his last comment. But he was gone.


	3. Cast Out

Polaris–Ponyta, Tsuki–Snivy, Mamoru–Oshawott, Tlaloc-Braviary

Cast Out

"So… what are you going to do with that thing now that you've caught it?" Ben asked, dubiously eying the Pokéball that I was holding.

I shrugged. "Send him back to Avalon. There aren't any Audino there… so even though they're a bit…"

"Freaky looking?" Ben suggested.

I grinned. "Kind of like an emaciated mutant Chansey?"

Ben nodded, half grimacing and half grinning.

"You're not going to use this one at all?" Hari asked.

"Well, not much, for now at least. But if there are any Pokémon that aren't on Avalon, I like to catch at least one and send it over. It's not like I'm leaving him in a storage box forever."

Hari nodded. "Yeah. The other Pokémon will play with him. Avalon's a fun place."

"So you haven't found any Pokémon you want to add to your team yet?"

I shook my head. "What about you, Ben? You never catch any new Pokémon. You should find at least one new pal in Unova."

Ben shrugged. "If I see anything I like, I'll try to catch it." I kind of like the look of Zweilous."

I almost offered to give Hari a Pokéball in case he wanted to catch something, but figured it would be pointless. He'd never shown the slightest interest in keeping any Pokémon with him besides Gro. Though he was always thrilled to spend time with other Pokémon. Having grown up among wild Pokémon, he thought of them differently than anyone else.

I hopped up onto Polaris's back, and Ben rode his Tauros with Hari sitting behind him. Mamoru rode on my lap, and Tsuki clung to Polaris's forehead. We continued north towards Striaton.

Tlaloc, my Braviary, soared overhead. While we were out in the wilderness, I took the opportunity to let him stretch his wings. He hadn't been out much for the couple days we spent in Accumula.

Then a dark blur pelted out of the bushes, charging at Polaris's legs. Polaris gave a startled whinny and half reared up. I reeled and quickly tightened my knees, bracing myself against her neck. I managed to catch Tsuki's tail as she fell from her perch.

Polaris backed up and swatted out with her forehooves at the Pokémon. It was a Purrloin. She was hissing and spitting madly as she dashed in repeatedly, swiping at Polaris's ankles.

Polaris snorted and lunged forwards, stomping with her forefeet. The Purrloin hastily retreated. Tsuki jumped to the ground and charged at the cat. It crouched low, hissing and slashing out.

Tlaloc swooped low, raking the air above Purrloin with his claws. As purloin flinched, Tsuki used Vine Whip and charged in with tackle. Purrloin backed away, panting and baring her teeth.

"What are you doing?" Hari shouted at the Purrloin. "Why'd you attack like that?"

Purrloin stared at me and let out a low hiss. _It's all your fault! You're the reason I'm stuck out here. _

I blinked, startled, and slid off of Polaris's back, still holding Mamoru. "What do you mean? You're stuck out here? Why is it my fault?"

_It's because you beat me,_ Purrloin spat. _You and your Oshawott beat me, so he let me go. _

Then I understood. This was the Purrloin that N had used during our battle. The one that Mamoru defeated.

"Are you saying that when he lost, he let you go?" If that was true, that he let a Pokémon go because it didn't win a battle… "Did he tell you that's why he made you lave?"

_He didn't say why. He said I'd be happier on my own. I asked to stay with him, but he said I should leave. _

So, maybe it really was because he thought Pokémon were happier away from people. But with Purrloin saying that she didn't want to be released, why'd he go and release her anyway?

I took a few steps towards Purrloin and knelt in front of her. She bared her teeth again. "Listen. I don't think he would let you go just because he didn't think you were strong enough. I think that he really believed that you would be happier if you were free."

Purrloin shook her head. _But why? Why would he think that when I say that I want to travel with him? _

"I don't know," I admitted. I stood up, pacing as I thought. "Do you want to travel with us for a while? We can look around for him, and ask him why he let you go. And if you want, maybe you can ask him to take you back?"

Purroin flattened her ears, as if not wanting to take my advice seriously.

"And for the record, I don't think you're weak. You put up a good fight. You even attacked a Pokémon ten times your size." I gestured to Polaris, who let out a snort of annoyance. She hadn't appreciated being ambushed.

Purrloin looked away. _I'll think about it. _

"Well, we're leaving now. If you want, you can follow us, or you can ride along with us.

_Oh._

I stared at her, but she continued looking away from us. I wanted to help her, but I didn't want to force her along. _Okay. Let's go, Polaris. _

Tsuki jumped back up onto my lap and we continued on. Hari stared behind us, watching as Purrloin faded into the distance.

"Will she be okay?" Hari asked.

"I hope so."

"She was wild up till now," Ben pointed out. "So she should be fine."

That wasn't quite what I was worried about, but he was right. I glanced back again, but we'd turned a corner and Purrloin was no longer in view.

Tlaloc swooped down low over the trail.

_That Purrloin is following us. _

I smiled.

…

It was later that day when we finally arrived at Striaton City. We went to the Pokémon Center for the night, and I left out a bowl of food for the Purrloin.

I wanted to spend a couple days training Tsuki and Mamoru before I took on the gym. I hoped that I could get the both of them to evolve before then. I didn't want to rely solely on Polaris and Tlaloc for all of the harder battles. One of my favorite things about exploring a new region was catching and training new Pokémon. Even so, I didn't want to leave Polaris behind. And I always liked to have a large flying Pokémon with me, in case of emergencies. Emergencies were a bit more common than I would like, so it was always good to have more than one strong Pokémon.

We headed out to the Dreamyard the next morning to train. Polaris and Tlaloc trained together on their own. Gro and some of Ben's Pokémon watched or joined in. I occasionally called out advice to them, but spent most of my attention on directing Tsuki and Mamoru in practice battles against each other.

We went back to the city to get lunch at the gym café. Tsuki and Mo were grateful for the rest. We walked round town a bit before heading back to the Dreamyard. But just before we entered, I paused.

There seemed to be some sort of battle going on. A man was standing across the yard, directing a Simisage. The Simisage was attacking something.

Something felt wrong. I started across the yard, and as I got closer, I realized what it was. The man was wearing an outfit I'd seen before. The same uniform worn by the man that stole Lillipup. And as I rounded one of the broken walls standing around the Dreamyard, I saw that Simisage was attacking a Blitzle. A young Blitzle that was covered in scratches and limping, obviously terrified.

I wanted to go attack this guy. He was with the other man that stole Pokémon. But I held back. Maybe… just maybe there was an explanation.

I strode forward and stopped in front of the guy, who finally looked up at me. Tlaloc swooped down and landed between Simisage and Blitzle. Simisage stopped, confused and Hari went over to check out Blitze's injuries. Blitzle tried to retreat, but staggered and fell in the grass. Hari managed to soothe her and kneel by her side.

"You know," I said, trying to keep the ice out of my voice, "If you want to catch a Pokémon, you don't need beat it up and scare it to death."

"It got away. I need to get it back," the man replied, obviously caught off guard by my interference.

"Got away from what? Why is a little Blitzle important enough that you need to chase it until it collapses?"

"How is that any of your business? Someone decided to surrender a newly caught Blitzle to us so we could release it, and it managed to get away."

I stared at him, dumbfounded and disgusted. "If you're going to let her go, isn't she _supposed_ to get away?"

The man let out a frustrated growl. "Go away! You have no business with Team Plasma unless you plan to release your Pokémon!"

"Team Plasma," I repeated. It clicked. The man who gave the speech in Accumula Town – Ghetsis – had a symbol on his chest. The same symbol on the uniform of these Team Plasma guys. That Ghetsis guy was going around, talking about releasing Pokémon while his men were stealing Pokémon from children, and pursuing Pokémon to the point where they couldn't even run anymore.

"You say a person handed their Pokémon over to you? Don't make me laugh! You stole it!"

The man blinked, somewhat startled. "No! She really wanted her Pokémon to be freed!"

Maybe he really hadn't stolen it? Not that that excused what he was doing, "Someone trusts you to release a Pokémon, and this is what you do to it?" I grit my teeth and clenched my fists. "Polaris!" I shouted.

Polaris cantered up to my side, snorting and stomping her hooves.

The startled Team Plasma man backed away and pulled out another Pokéball. He sent out an Unfezant.

At that moment, Simisage sprang at Tlaloc, who reared back and flapped as he took to the air. Blitzle, still scared and in pain, bolted across the yard towards the Plasma guy. The man obviously wanted to stop Blitzle from escaping, but Polaris and Tlaloc were already attacking his Pokémon. So the man took a step forwards and kicked out at the fleeing Blitzle.

Blitzle bleated in pain as the foot connected with her ribs and stomach. She tumbled sideways and flailed weakly in the grass.

In two steps, I was in front of the man. I smashed my fist forward, directly into his solar plexus. He gasped and doubled over. I shoved him to the ground and rushed to Blitzle's side. But Simisage was already there, ready to deliver the final blow to the fallen Pokémon.

Then something emerged out of the grass and launched into Simisage's face.

It was Purrloin.

She drove Simisage back, giving me time to stoop and lift the trembling, panting Blitzle. She struggled weakly, but I whispered assurances to her, trying to soothe her. She fell still, but only because she'd finally passed out.

Purrloin finished off Simisage, and Tlaloc drove Unfezant down so that Polaris could use Flamethrower and finish her off. With our enemy Pokémon down (as well as the Plasma guy who was still splayed on his back) we retreated back to the city.

"Ben, can you go contact the police?" I asked as we walked. "You know, tell them about the Lillipup, and that Ghetsis guy and stuff. I mean, this guy said that Blitzle was handed over willingly, so they're probably tricking the public. People need to be warned."

Ben nodded and went on ahead. Hari moved up beside me, mashing up some herbs and grasses he'd picked in the Dreamyard. He rubbed the green pulp over the worst of the scratches on Blitzle's sides and face.

Polaris trotted alongside me, anxiously. I felt a clenching in my stomach as I remembered when I had first met Polaris. It was right before I was going to start my Pokémon journey. Some boys had tied her down and were hurting her, trying to make her obey. I'd stood up to them, and helped Polaris get away. This incident no doubt made her remember that frightening time. This little Blitzle was very much like she had been…

_Will she be okay? _I looked down to see that Purrloin was following us. She looked concerned.

"We're going to take her to the Pokémon center," I assured her. "They'll take care of her."

_What about after that? _

"I guess I'll bring her with me. She's a young Blitzle, so it might not be safe for her to be on her own."

_I see. _

We arrived at the Pokémon Center and Purrloin stopped at the doors.

"Come on," Hari urged.

Purrloin hesitated, then followed.


	4. Hear the Voices

It's been a while since I wrote an in-depth battle, so it was good to get into one again. ^-^' It took a while to figure this chapter out, but I finally managed to piece it together.

Now, I've never understood this. Where did the idea of N as a dashing, romantic figure come from? He always seemed like a rather socially awkward person that talks a lot. But that's why I find him interesting.

Polaris–Ponyta, Tsuki–Snivy, Mamoru–Oshawott, Tlaloc-Braviary, Ané - Blitzle

Hear the Voices

It had been a frustrating gym battle. I get so used to battling with experienced Pokémon that it's really awkward having a new team. Tsuki and Mamoru were still young and inexperienced. It took both of them to knock out Cress's Panpour. I needed to use Tlaloc to battle Pansage and Pansear. I'd been with Tlaloc longer, but even he was a relative newcomer. It would have been so much easier to use Polaris in the battle. But if I relied on her for everything, no one else would ever get stronger. Plus, she'd had plenty of chances to fight in gyms. The rest of my team hadn't.

Blitzle was in no shape to join a gym battle yet. I'd named her Ané (pronounced Aw-nay). The couple days we'd spent training, she spent recovering. She was still too nervous for me to try training her. She cowered around other people, even Ben. She opened up a bit to Hari and I since we could speak to her. But it was Polaris that she really clung to, taking her as a sort of foster mother. Polaris kept her close, even though Ané often got under hoof and tripped the Ponyta up.

Now that we were out of the city, heading north towards Nacrene, I could let Ané out. She needed to get used to all of us, which would be easier without so many people around.

As we traveled north, Purrloin accompanied us. We asked around with some of the wild Pokémon, and a couple of them told us that the green haired guy had indeed passed this way. If we ran into him, I wanted to give him a piece of my mind about abandoning Purrloin.

Over the couple days we spent traveling, Ané gained some confidence and strayed further from Polaris's side, allowing Tsuki, Mamoru, and Purrloin to visit her. She was much better with Ben, Hari and I also.

Unfortunately, the moment we arrived at Nacrene City, the appearance of people sent Ané back to Polaris's side.

Sigh. Back to square one.

I returned my team and we headed to the Pokémon Center so everyone could recover after the journey.

I scanned the guidebook as we left the Nacrene Pokémon Center. "Hey, we gotta check out the museum, guys! I think I can get an Archen there. I've been wanting one."

"Sounds cool," Ben agreed. What kind of museum is it?"

"I don't get museums," Hari said. "It's just a bunch of shelves of old stuff. You're not even allowed to touch them."

"I thought you liked seeing fossils and things."

Hari shrugged. "Fossils are kinda cool. But they're all behind glass."

Yeah, Hari was very much a person who enjoyed things if he could get involved with them. You couldn't really get involved with stuff in a museum.

"Well," I continued, looking at the guidebook again. "There's also a library. And apparently the gym is attached to the museum." Though Hari wouldn't be interested in a library either. He never sat still long enough to read. But he'd listen if you read aloud to him. Maan, the quirks of a wild kid… Actually, I'm amazed there aren't more really annoying ones…

"But you're not battling the gym yet, are you?" Hari asked.

I shook my head. "We need to train more before that. We'll take on the gym right before we leave town, in a few days." I flipped through the guidebook. "Looks like there's a bunch of art studios too. Cool."

"Can you do art there?" Hari asked.

Ben shrugged. "Usually art studios are reserved for a few people. I doubt they'd let a random kid in."

"Oh."

Purrloin swatted at my leg to get my attention.

"What?" I asked.

_I can smell him. _

I nodded. "Hey, Ben, do you want to take Hari and see if there's anything he can do at one of the studios? I want to check out the gym."

Ben raised an eyebrow at me. I stared back at him, hoping he'd get the message and go along with me.

Ben sighed. "Yeah, sure. Want to go check it out, Hari?"

"I guess."

The two headed off, and I turned back to Purrloin. "Okay, where is he?"

She turned and trotted off down the road.

He wasn't hard to miss, standing in the middle of the road looking at the museum/gym.

"Hey!" I shouted. I tried to remember his name. It was something like L or M. He looked at me surprised as I came to a halt by his side.

"N, right?"

N nodded. "And you're Cara."

"Why did you abandon your Purrloin?" I demanded. "She thinks you left her behind because she wasn't strong enough!"

N looked startled. "What? No, of course not!" He quickly knelt in front of Purrloin, whose fur was fluffed up in resentment. "I would never leave a friend behind because I didn't think they were strong! And you are strong. It doesn't matter that we lost the battle. You fought well and skillfully."

_Then why did you leave me behind?_ Purrloin asked miserably, her fur flattening out some.

N sighed. "I'm sorry. It's my fault for not explaining well. But Pokémon are better off when not tied to people. You don't need me around for you to reach your full potential."

"Hang on a sec," I said, indignant. N stood up. "This Purrloin came all the way from Accumula town to find you, and you're just going to tell her that people are bad for Pokémon?" Had he really taken that speech by Ghetsis so much to heart? Or was this some sort of movement in Unova that N was already a part of?

"Pokémon are not able to reach their full potential if they are confined to Pokéballs all the time," N replied, looking away. " If they're confined so much, how can I ever know their ideals?

"You don't have to keep Pokémon in Pokéballs all the time. I don't. Plenty of people don't. And when people and Pokémon work together, they're able to do things that they could never do separately."

"That may be good for the humans," N continued. "But what about the Pokémon? How many of those efforts are done to benefit Pokémon? Not many. They're usually for the benefit of humans. I need to find a future where Pokémon are perfect. They can't do that if they're always serving humans. Don't you feel the same?"

I stared at him. "Become… perfect? How do you plan to make Pokémon perfect? Nothing is ever perfect. If things could be perfect, then we wouldn't have anything to aim for anymore."

N looked thoughtful. "Yes, I suppose that's true. That doesn't lessen my resolve though. I need to do whatever I can to help Pokémon."

What was with this guy? Half the things he said made me bristle, but I actually agreed with the other half. "Well, yeah. I want to help Pokémon too, but-"

N smiled. "See, that's great! I hoped you would say so, since you can also hear the voices of Pokémon. In that case, please listen to the voices of my Pokémon. Hear what they have to say, and tell me what you think is best for them." He pulled out a Pokéball. "And I too will hear what your Pokémon have to say!"

Hear what his Pokémon had to say? I never really tried talking to Pokémon during battles. But it seemed to work for N. Well, why not?

I sent out Tsuki and N sent out a Timburr.

Timburr swung his beam, but Tsuki leapt over it and landed on Timburr's head, knocking him off balance. She quickly wrapped her vines around Timburr's beam and jerked at it. Timburr didn't let go, but staggered towards Tsuki and crashed into her. He kicked out, shoving her away. She skidded across the ground, but kept one vine twisted around the beam. Timburr pulled at it, dragging Tsuki along the ground. She winced and tried to pull herself to her feet, but Timburr kept pulling her off balance. She flicked out her other vine and caught Timburr's foot, pulling it out from under him. When Timburr fell, Tsuki finally succeeded in yanking Timburr's wooden weapon away from him. She tossed it away and stood between him and it. Timburr stood and glared at her. Tsuki glared back.

Tsuki charged, but Timburr's Low Kick sent her tumbling to the ground yet again. Timburr made a dash for his log. Tsuki used Vine Whip to grab him around the middle, but he took hold of her vines and threw her against the wall of the museum.

"Hang in there!" I shouted.

Tsuki got to her feet, panting.

"Where did you get your Pokémon?" I called to N. "I thought you didn't like keeping Pokémon inside of Pokéballs."

N shook his head as Tsuki dashed after Timburr, trying to keep him from getting the log back. "These Pokémon come to me, so I bring them with me for a short while to learn from them. Then I let them go. I don't train them."

I grit my teeth as Timburr grabbed his log and swung it at Tsuki, knocking her across the road.

"Tsuki! Are you okay?"

She staggered to her feet.

"See," N said. "Your Pokémon is getting hurt. Do you want to stop the battle?"

"Sni!" Tsuki shouted, shaking her head. She charged again.

"Wait, Tsuki," I shouted. "Don't just charge in again!" She stopped short of tackling Timburr, instead skirting around him and avoiding his next swing. I quickly gave her some telepathic instructions.

"If you can understand Pokémon and work together with them," N said, "then the usual training methods that people use for Pokémon aren't necessary."

I laughed. "Yes, I know exactly what you mean. If you can understand Pokémon, you can train together in many different ways. Do it now, Tsuki!"

Tsuki dashed around Tiumburr, using Vine Whip as he turned to face her. But by the time he turned, Tsuki was dashing around to use Vine Whip from another side. Timburr charged, trying to get her in range of his log, but Tsuki dashed away. Speed and distance were our allies.

When Timburr started panting, Tsuki dashed in one last time. Timburr swung his beam, and Tsuki ducked to end up directly beneath Timburr. Timburr gasped, but didn't have time to react as Tsuki used Leaf Tornado right beneath him. Timburr tumbled through the air and crashed into a tree, where he lay still.

N smiled. "Impressive. You certainly can communicate well with your Pokémon." He returned Timburr and sent out a Pidove. But a single Gust attack knocked Tsuki out. I sent out Mamoru next. Pidove dodged through the sky as Mamoru tried in vain to hit her with Water Gun. Pidove's Gust and Air Cutter rushed down repeatedly, slowly draining Mamoru's strength.

This time speedy distance attacks were against us.

Which is when I remembered what N said. _Hear what they have to say. _

_Pidove,_ I asked telepathically. _What do you think of humans? _

Pidove glanced over at me, but didn't let up her attacks. _I dunno. I had an okay human for a trainer. But then he got a new job and became real busy. He didn't have time for me anymore, so he decided to let me go when Team Plasma gave their speech. _

I nodded and turned m attention back to Mamoru. _Mo, we need to strike from above. Got it? _

Mamoru nodded and aimed Water Gun at the ground. He launched himself up into the air, towards the startled Pidove. Razor Shell knocked her out of the air, and Mamoru came down on her, using Water Gun as he pinned her wing to the ground. Pidove knocked him off with an Air Cutter. Mamoru used one last Water gun, before collapsing from fatigue. Pidove collapsed too.

N and I returned our Pokémon, and this time N sent out Tympole.

I started to reach for Polaris's Pokéball, but stopped when I saw Purrloin. She was crouched nearby, staring at the match as if nothing else existed.

"Purrloin," I called.

She looked up startled.

"Come and battle. I'll direct you."

Purrloin just stared at me. I shrugged and reached for Polaris's Pokéball again. But before I could let her out, Purrloin leapt into the battle.

I smiled. _Okay. Watch Tympole. He's not very quick, so he'll probably try to stay at a distance and use Water Attacks. Dodge them until you see an opening, okay? _

Purrloin shot me a glance, as if saying that she didn't particularly want to follow my instructions. My heart sank. If she ignored me completely, we were going to lose this match.

And sure enough, Purrloin dashed forward, right at Tympole.

Tympole used Bubblebeam, but Purrloin bounded over the attack and swerved away. She dodged the next two attacks.

_Well? _She demanded. _I'm dodging. What's next, coach? _

I laughed. _Okay, look out! He's using Mud Shot! Duck! _

Purrloin flattened herself to the ground and managed to avoid most of the force of Mud Shot.

_Go now! _

Purrloin bounded forward and used Fury Swipes until Bubblebeam threw her backward.

_Tympole,_ I asked, _Do you like humans? _

Tympole narrowed his eyes. _Humans are annoying! The human that had me treated me like a toy! I was relieved when she finally let me go! _

Purrloin used Sand Attack, blinding Tympole and dodging in to use Scratch. But Mud Shot still hit her full force. With the last of her strength, she used Pursuit and finally defeated her opponent.

With a sigh, N returned Tympole. He smiled at Purrloin. "See? You are strong. But I believe that people should not keep Pokémon tied to them. If I am to convince others of this, I need to follow what I say. Even the Pokémon I have with me now won't stay with me much longer. I'm sure you'll be able to find your own path."

"Why?" I asked. "If you can speak to Pokémon, and you know they want to stay with you, why make them leave?"

N shook his head. "They'll be happier with other Pokémon."

"But it goes against what you're saying!" I insisted. I wanted to get along with him. I really did. He was one of the few people I'd met who could speak to Pokémon like me. And since he could talk to Pokémon, he must have a good understanding of what they wanted. But he wanted people to let their Pokémon go. Yes, I had just battled two Pokémon who were glad to be free, but that surely couldn't be true for everyone. But then again, I'd only just arrived in Unova. Could it be possible that there was more conflict between humans and Pokémon here? It didn't seem like it… Anyway, N was contradicting himself. "Purrloin said she'd be happy to go with you. If you want to make Pokémon happy, then why ignore what they have to say?"

"I'm not ignoring it! But people and Pokémon don't always want what's best for them."

Well, I couldn't argue with that statement, but still…

"Well," N said, turning away. "My friends still aren't strong enough to save all Pokémon. Can I really change the world? Maybe if I get power. Power enough to make anyone agree with me."

"What are you talking about?"

N glanced back and smiled. "Think about what I've said, okay? I need to find Reshiram. I'll have to become the hero, if I want to achieve my goal."

"What? Wait a sec!" I called as he started walking away. "That means you have to think about what I said also!"

But N didn't turn back. And a few seconds later, he'd turned a corner and disappeared.

"Gah!" I shouted. "He's so frustrating!" I almost ran after him, but decided it wasn't worth the effort. It didn't seem like anything I said had gotten through to him. I wasn't even sure why I was worried about his plans. I mean, he did care about helping Pokémon, even if it was in an unusual way. And it wasn't like he could single-handedly make all people release Pokémon, right? But there was also this Team Plasma. They worried me. And what was with that stuff about Reshiram and becoming a hero? Reshiram was one of Unova's legendary Pokémon, I knew. But I didn't know much about it. Maybe it was time to do some research. Luckily I was right in front of a library and museum. But something needed to be tied up.

I knelt in front of Purrloin. "Hey, did you learn what you needed to from N?"

Purrloin sighed. _I guess. _

"If you want to return to the wild, that's fine. But I think we worked together pretty well. It would be great if you wanted to join my team."

_Heh. Somehow I figured you'd ask that. _

"Oh?"

Purrloin flicked her tail. _Well, why not? I guess I'll hang around for a while. _

I laughed. "Great! Can I give you a name?"

_A name? _

"Yeah. Like… Carrara."

_What's that supposed to mean? _

"It's a place where they find marble."

_What's marble got to do with anything? _

"Well, Liepard have cool patterns. Kind of like the swirls in marble."

"_How do Liepard spots look like marble? _

"Uh," I started.

"I thought we'd find you here."

I turned to see that Ben and Hari had returned. The latter had blue and green paint smeared all over his arms and on some of his face. But Hari held up a picture, looking proud. It looked like the paint had been smeared on by Hari's hands. But it was a surprisingly nice landscape picture of trees and a lake.

"Hey, that's nice," I said, leaning forward to get a better look at it."

Ben laughed. "Yeah, the artist who let us use his paint and paper was impressed too. Although he seemed rather nervous about how Hari managed to get paint over so much of himself."

"Hey," Hari said indignantly, "at least I didn't make a mess in the room!"

"Maybe not, but the guy was afraid that you would," Ben laughed. "And the smock he lent you was pretty well painted over when you were done."

I laughed. I could well imagine. "Well, I need to go to the Pokémon Center. And you look like you need to clean yourself up." I gestured to Hari. "And I'd also like to introduce both of you to Carrara."


	5. Lost to Waves

N seem to change dramatically throughout all of the official storylines. The games are where most of us first saw him, as the king of Plasma, pawn of Ghetsis. Someone who doesn't really understand humans.

Then in the manga… well, he freaked me out. And his arguments changed totally. Like "Pokémon can only be happy if they're battling." Where'd they get that from?

In the anime, he was the most normal. He was closer to the game, but was better at getting along with people. I'll bet they attracted a lot of fangirls by adding him to the anime. Admittedly, I did go and watch it, after having not seen any of the newer anime since I don't remember when. Though that was mainly because I wanted to see if it would help with my fanfic.

In the meantime, Cara starts to lose confidence in her arguments against N. :3

Polaris–Ponyta, Tsuki–Servine, Mamoru–Dewott, Tlaloc-Braviary, Ané – Blitzle, Carrara - Purrloin

Lost to Waves

Herdier charged and collided with Tsuki. She gasped as the breath was knocked out of her, but managed to grab onto Herdier's fur. Herdier tried to shake her off, but she clung on with her stubby little hands (made even stubbier since she evolved into a Servine).

She planted a leech seed against his neck, and dragged herself up his side so she was draped over Herdier's back. Herdier spun around, trying to bite at her, but she hung on long enough to wrap her vines around his middle.

"Herdier, knock Servine against the wall!" Lenora called. Carrara had lost against her first Pokémon – Watchog. Tsuki had defeated Watchog, but if she lost here, we'd lose the two-on-two battle.

Herdier rammed up against the wall of the gym, but Leech Seed was bringing back some of Tsuki's strength and Herdier was weakening. Tsuki braced her feet against the wall. With the momentum, she used her vines to flip Herdier onto his side. Leaf Tornado knocked Herdier out.

Lenora returned Herdier and came up to congratulate me.

"Very nice. You timed Leech Seed well. If you waited any longer, your Servine wouldn't have been able to continue."

"Yeah, we almost didn't get the opportunity to use it. Your Herdier was expecting it."

"Yes, we were. I guess that's why you had Servine hold still as Herdier used Tackle?"

I nodded and accepted the Basic Badge that she handed me. My second Unova badge. I grinned. "Thanks."

"No problem. It's always fun seeing how trainers figure out strategy during a challenging battle."

"And it's always interesting trying to figure that strategy out."

After a brief pause at the Pokémon Center, Ben, Hari and I continued on towards Pinwheel Forest.

As usual, I let all of my Pokémon out once we were out of the city. Ané trotted alongside Polaris, now quite confident as long as her "big sis" was with her. She was improved enough that I had Polaris do a few brief spars with her.

But by the time we reached the outskirts of the forest, night was coming and we had to set up camp.

After dinner, my phone rang. The name said "Avalon."

"One of the Pokémon must be calling," I suggested. "Since there aren't any humans on Avalon right now. At least, not that I know of."

I pushed the button and held the little screen up. A Raichu looked back at me.

"Link!" I exclaimed, grinning. "You learned how to do a screen call?"

Link grinned back, nodding. _Yep. Twilight and Lily taught me. They say hi, by the way. _

"Tell them we say hi back. And everyone else too. How are things on Avalon?"

_Good. I'm still getting used to some things. It's a really different place from Naratay. _

I laughed. "I'll bet. I hope you don't regret coming."

Link shook his head vigorously. _Not at all. There's lots of cool Pokémon here. And I get to stay in the house. There's plenty to do. I still miss home sometimes though. _

Hari sighed. "I really wish I could have seen Naratay."

"I'd love to go back too," I agreed. "I don't think that's possible though."

Ben gave a crooked smile. "Yeah, it seems to have been a rather dangerous journey."

We talked to Link for a while. I was glad to see that he was doing so well. He'd only come to Avalon about a month before.

A few of my other Pokémon popped in to say hi as well. I always feel bad that I have to leave so many of them behind when I go on a new journey.

Speaking of which, I hoped to catch a Venipede once we got to the forest. But if I wanted to have it on my team, I'd need to send someone else back. I was sort of leaning towards sending Ané back. She had recovered enough that I was comfortable sending her to Avalon. I could ask Link and the other Pokémon to take care of her. Though I'd have to see how Ané felt about that.

We continued on the next morning, heading into Pinwheel Forest. The cool shade was welcome as the sun climbed overhead, beating down on us. We continued on, with my Braviary flying overhead to check for any Pokémon I'd want to catch.

"There it is!" I exclaimed, pointing to the bank of a nearby stream. A Venipede was there, snoozing in a patch of sunlight. I vaulted off of Polaris's back and sprinted towards it. Tlaloc swooped overhead through the gap over the creek.

Venipede opened his eyes and stared at us, but didn't budge.

Tlaloc used Aerial Ace, sending Venipede tumbling into the shallow creek. Wing Attack followed a moment later, knocking Venipede back towards me. I threw the Pokéball and Venipede vanished inside. The Pokéball dropped into the river and started drifting downstream. Tlaloc grabbed it in his talon and dropped it into my hands.

I grinned. "Nice job, Tlaloc. I finally got a Venipede."

No sooner had I said it than the Pokéball vanished. I'd have to reorganize my team once we reached Castelia City. I returned to the path where everyone else was waiting for me.

_Is that how you usually catch Pokémon?_ Carrara asked. She sounded disapproving.

"Not usually. But sometimes it's more exciting to catch Pokémon the traditional way."

_I wonder if the Pokémon thinks that. _

It sounded like something N would say. Maybe it rubbed off on her.

"Well, I'll apologize when I bring him onto my team. But I think he would have said something if he really didn't want to be captured."

_Really? Or do you only talk to Pokémon when it's convenient for you? _

…

It took a couple days to get through the forest. I kept thinking about what Carrara had said. That I only listen to Pokémon when it was convenient for me. Did I? I used my telepathy all the time. But did I actually ignore it if I didn't want to hear what a Pokémon said? I didn't think so, but maybe it was a subconscious thing.

Since I could speak to Pokémon, did that give me an obligation to check with them every time I wanted to interact with or catch one? But trainers caught Pokémon the traditional way all the time. It often lead to strong bonds between them, but not always. And they couldn't speak to Pokémon. They had an excuse that I did not.

And so I started thinking again about what N had said to me. I still didn't think that people and Pokémon should be separated. But what if wild Pokémon were given a choice about being captured? How would things be different then? Could things be done to improve the way people and Pokémon lived?

We finally arrived at the Skyarrow Bridge, which lead to Castelia City.

My Pokémon trotted around, taking in the view of the bay and watching the Swanna and Ducklett fly overhead. They stared through the grating beneath us to watch the cars roar past underneath. When Ané first saw this, she leapt backwards in alarm and Polaris had to calm her down

A flock of Ducklett flapped low overhead. I looked up to watch and saw a Swanna swoop down through them. For a moment I watched as the light glowed through Swanna's wings. But then my admiration turned to horror as Swanna extended her claws and closed them around Tsuki. Before anyone could react, Swanna took to the air, dragging my flailing Servine along with her.

"Tsuki!" I shouted, sprinting after Swanna until the railing of the bridge stopped me.

Tlaloc dove down and I sprang onto his back. Mamoru, now a Dewott, jumped up next to me and the three of us took off after Swanna.

Tsuki struggled, but her vines were pinned to her sides by Swanna's claws. Swanna glanced back and saw us following. She sped up. So did Tlaloc.

As we gained, Mamoru shot out Water Gun. It hit Swanna, but didn't slow her. Tlaloc put on another burst of speed, but Swanna arced around and Tlaloc had to turn sharply to stay on her tail.

Momoru used Razor Shell, striking Swanna's wing. Swanna jolted in the air, giving Tlaloc time to catch up and use Aerial Ace.

Swanna squawked and Tsuki slipped from her grasp.

Tlaloc tucked and dove, arcing up in time for me to catch Tsuki.

A blade of wind struck Tlalco in the side as Swanna used Aerial ace. Tlaloc lurched to the side and I threw an arm around his neck, holding Tsuki with my other arm. She wrapped her vines around Tlaloc and I, holding me in place. But as Tlaloc righted himself, I heard a terrified cry from below. I looked over Tlaloc's shoulder, already knowing what I'd find.

Mamoru had fallen. He was shrinking rapidly as he spun towards the bay far below us.

"Mo!" I shouted, reaching out uselessly. "Mooooe!"

Tlaloc started to dive, but Swanna used Bubblebeam and Tlaloc had to dodge to the side. Before I could stop him, he rocketed up at Swanna and grabbed her with his claws. He yanked her around and threw her as far as he could. The battered Swanna finally flew away.

But I had lost all sight of Mamoru.

Tlaloc dropped into a dive again. My eyes watered from the speed, and I couldn't see anything. I'd gotten completely turned around during the battle. Where had he fallen?

Braviary pulled up as we reached the water. He glided low over the bay, gliding back and forth as Tsuki and I called out to him.

After fifteen minutes of no success, I realized that I had to check in with Ben and Hari and everyone. They had no idea where I was. I telepathically told Polaris what had happened, and asked her to pass it on to Hari.

For twenty more minutes, Tlaloc flew back and forth, but no luck. And I couldn't reach him telepathically either. He was probably unconscious.

Finally we had to fly back to meet up with the others.

They were waiting at the shore of the bay, with Castelia City just a short walk away.

I slid off of Tlaloc's back, a hollow feeling in my stomach. Tsuki jumped down beside me.

"You didn't find him?" Hari asked.

I shook my head.

"Maybe he climbed out onto shore," Ben suggested. "We can walk along the coast here and see if we find him. And Your Braviary and my Pigeot can fly around looking. I'll send Blastoise out to swim around."

I nodded, but their offers of help didn't do anything to improve my mood.

The sun was starting to sink. We spent the next hour searching, until it was too dark to see anything.

"Cara, I know you're worried," Ben said. "But searching right now is pointless. We need to get to the Pokémon Center and rest. In the morning, we can search again, and we'll all have more energy."

I didn't like that idea, so I didn't say anything.

"Come on," Hari urged. "Mo will understand."

"You guys go on ahead."

"Cara, we don't want to leave you out here alone all night!" Ben said, exasperated.

"I won't be alone. I'm sure Polaris will stay out with me."

"We'll wait with you," Hari offered.

I shook my head. "No, you guys should go on."

Ben sighed. "Seriously? Why do you expect us to treat you like that? I know you've gone off and done a bunch of stuff on your own, but we're your friends! Can't you rely on us some?"

"I just don't want to keep you out all night. It's getting cold."

"So, by the same thought process, why would we want you out here all night?"

I turned on Ben, frustrated. "I just can't leave him out here, okay? I know he can take care of himself… but…"

"We get it," Hari assured me. "We don't want to leave him out here either."

"Look," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "I'll do one more search and then follow you. Okay?"

Ben sighed. "Fine. If you're not back soon though, I'm going to come looking for you."

I nodded. The two of them headed off and I returned all of my Pokémon except Polaris. I jumped on her back and we went down the coast once more. Still nothing. What if currents got ahold of him and swept him out to sea?

Then I realized that I had just done what Carrara accused me of. I hadn't tried to talk to Swanna, to ask her to stop. We'd just attacked her. What if she might have needed help with something?

But I had panicked. Of course I would. My Pokémon friend had just been kidnapped. But was that really an excuse?

"Let's check across the bridge once more," I said. It was hard to sit up straight anymore. I felt so sleepy. Polaris nodded and moved towards the bridge. We started across once more, the bridge rumbling with an occasional night-going car. When we were about half way across, something caught my eye. Something small shuffling across the bridge towards us.

"Mo!" I shouted, jumping off of Polaris's back and staggering as I landed poorly.

I stumbled forward and caught him up in a hug. He was cold and wet, but seemed to be in one piece.

"Are you okay?" I asked, carrying him onto Polaris's back.

Mamoru nodded. _Moslty. Just really tired. That guy swam out and brought me to shore. He waited until I woke up, and said I could go wherever I wanted. He helped me to the bridge. _

"Guy?" I repeated. "What guy?"

_You know. That guy that we battle. The one who trained Carrara. The green-haired guy. _


	6. Castelia

I'll give you guys a full gym battle this time. I don't think I've done that yet for this fanfic.

Polaris–Ponyta, Tsuki–Servine, Mamoru–Dewott, Tlaloc-Braviary, Carrara – Purrloin

* * *

Castelia

Volcarona used Fire Spin, and the whirling flames surrounded Polaris. She Galloped through the rings of fire, her mane and tail sparking from the blaze of heat. She sprang up into the air, coming free of the flame. She dropped down, driving her hooves into Volcarona, knocking her foe out of the air. And Volcarona was defeated.

Benga grinned and returned his Volcarona. "Hey, I knew you looked tough! That was an awesome battle!"

I nodded. "Yeah, you're great too! If I didn't have Polaris with me, I would have lost."

"Is Polaris your trump card?" Benga teased.

Ben laughed. "Yeah, that _is_ her trump card. She's barely used Polaris in a battle since we arrived in Unova."

I laughed. "Most of my team is pretty new. Polaris was my first Pokémon. I usually keep her with me if I ever need someone to fall back on."

"I've never battled a Ponyta before," Benga admitted. You don't see many of them around here. Did you guys just arrive in Castelia?"

Hari nodded. "We just got here last night." Hari and Gro were playing with Benga's Gabite. Gabite seemed as enthusiastic as his trainer, and the three of them had been roughhousing during most of the battle.

I hesitated. _Hey, Gabite? What do you think of Benga? _I wanted to try to speak to the Pokémon Unova more. Carrara's words still bothered me. I wasn't sure if I was not noticing how unhappy Pokémon were in Unova. Or worse, maybe since I didn't want to hear it, I subconsciously ignored it?

Gabite looked up and Grinned. _Benga's great! He raised us. We train together every day, and every day we get stronger together! We're aiming for the top, you know. _

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you planning to take on the gym here?" Benga asked, unaware that I'd just spoken to his Pokémon.

I nodded. "Yeah. We usually spend a few days training before we take on the gym. But we're definitely going to battle Burgh soon."

"So, you're on the path to the Pokémon League, huh? Then you'll probably run into my Grandpa, then."

"He's in the Pokémon League?" I asked, intrigued.

Benga's grin widened. "He's the _champion!"_

"That's great! If I run into him, I'll tell him that I know you. By the way, how long have you been in Castelia city?"

"About a week. We're trying some different training techniques before we head back to Floccessy."

"Then you're not heading north after this?"

Benga shook his head. "Floccessy is to the south. You have to take a boat from the harbor here. I can show you around the city though. Maybe we could train together? It's a lot more fun when you have someone new to test your skills against."

"It is. When we're traveling, we never really battle anyone new more than once. I think it would be a great way to train. Especially for my upcoming gym battle. And I have a new Venipede on my team too. I haven't gotten a chance to train him at all."

So far, I'd been training my team by pitting them against each other, with occasional battles against passersby. Benga was definitely strong enough to be a real help in training my new Pokémon. It would give them new opponents to try their hand against.

* * *

It's fun exploring a city, though admittedly the noise and traffic in a city would drive me crazy if I ever had to live in one. We checked out the boats in the harbor and got tickets for a quick ride to a nearby island. The line to get Castelia cones was long, but worth it. And Benga brought us to a battle center sort of place that was actually inside one of the huge office buildings. There were a ton of shops too, though most of them sold fancy clothes, which I would never buy while I'm traveling (if ever).

Except for Polaris and Tlaloc, none of my Pokémon had been in a big city before, so they were both fascinated and nervous. Especially my new Venipede, who I'd named Croatan. He'd lived his whole life in the forest, so the city was very new to him. But he just took everything in quietly. Which is what he seems to do about everything. Actually, he was a hard worker, and within a couple days of training, he evolved.

Although Carrara beat him to evolution by over a day.

It was about a week before I finally decided to do the gym challenge.

"Hey, this going to be an awesome match!" Benga announced as we headed to the gym the next morning.

"I sure hope so."

"Aw, come on. You're not nervous, are you?"

"Well, not actually," I admitted. "I mean, I've done so many gym challenges over the different regions."

"Think it will be a breeze, huh?" Benga asked.

I shook my head. "I didn't say that. I'm not too nervous though. How should I say this… gym fights are much more tame than a lot of the battles I've taken place in."

Ben and Hari laughed. I grinned.

"You'll have to tell me about some of those."

"Yeah, okay."

We arrived at the gym.

"Do you know who you're going to use?" Hari asked.

I nodded. It was a three on three match, and I had my team all ready to go.

We headed inside.

"Hi, Mr. Burgh!" Hari called, waving to the man who was obviously the gym leader.

I stared at Hari. "How on earth do you know the gym leader here?"

Hari grinned. "He owned the studio where I painted in Nacrene. He's the one who let me paint."

My mind jumped back to the image of Hari, his front covered in paint. I wasn't sure if that was something Burgh would remember fondly.

But Burgh came right up to greet us. "Ah, Hari, right! And Ben, too?"

"Hi," Ben said, raising a hand and looking very amused at my expression.

"I didn't expect to see either of you walk into my gym," Burgh continued, smiling. "Are you taking the gym challenge?"

"I am," I said, stepping forward.

"Ah," Burgh said, turning his attention towards me. "You're traveling together, huh? Your friend Hari is quite an artist. His technique is… unusual. But the great thing about art is that any technique is fine as long as the results are good."

I laughed. "If I'd known you had a studio in Nacrene, I would have dropped by too. I sketch some during our journeys, though I know I'm not that great. But it's nice to have a hobby for when you're traveling." Reading, singing, and drawing were the three hobbies that were easiest to do while on the road. I knew I was no master at either singing or drawing, but at least I didn't suck.

Burgh waved his hand dismissively. "I've never seen any art that wasn't great." He covered his mouth and whispered to us, "that's not entirely true, but anything you try your hardest at will help you get better."

Ben and I laughed.

"If you don't mind showing me some of your sketches after the gym match, I could give you some pointers."

"Yeah, that would be great, thanks."

"Well then," Burgh said, backing away. "Are you ready to go?"

I nodded. "I sure am."

Burgh grinned and flipped a Pokéball into his hand. "Excellent. Then let's begin!"

We both threw out our Pokéballs, and both of them opened to reveal Whirlipede.

I smirked. _Okay, Croatan, start with Rollout! _

Croatan took off across the gym, like a truck tire. A moment later, Burgh's Whirlipede accelerated in Rollout too.

The two of them started zooming around the gym. Benga had to leap backwards to avoid Croatan as he skidded too close to the wall. They gained speed, trying to chase each other down, but neither gained any ground.

Finally Burgh's Whirlipede turned sharply and angled towards Croatan. Croatan wheeled wildly away and the two of them started looping and darting wildly all over the place.

This was getting a bit ridiculous. No one had any control. It was more likely that one of us would get flattened than one of the Whirlipede.

_Change of tactics, Croatan. _

Croatan wheeled around and came to a stop, right in front of the wall. He revved up like some bizarre tractor, kicking up the dirt that coated the gym floor.

As Burgh's Whirlipede aimed and shot towards Croatan, Croatan hit reverse, shooting backwards towards the wall. The dirt he'd kicked up acted as a ramp, and Croatan shot straight up the wall. As The foe Whirlipede smashed straight into the wall, Croatan shoved off of the wall with his tails and came down behind his foe. He smashed the other Whirlipede into the wall again.

Whirlipede sagged, beaten. Burgh returned her and sent out a Dwebble.

Croatan took off once more with Rollout. Dwebble used Rock Blast. The aim was perfect, and despite Croatan's speed, the attack hit and knocked My Whirlipede onto his side. As Croatan tried to right himself, Dwebble's Stealth Rock and Fury Cutter finished him off.

I sent out Carrara next. As my Liepard appeared, Dwebble finished using Rock Polish and began skittering around the gym. He dashed up, using Fury Cutter on Carrara's back. She staggered forward and spun to face her opponent. She used Pursuit. Whirlipede flinched, but dashed in again. Cararra leapt out of the way, but Dwebble stalled, and once my Liepard landed, he used Fury Cutter again.

I cursed under my breath. That was three Fury Cutter's in a row. And they increased in power with each hit. One more hit would finish Carrara, and then one hit after that would be enough to take out my next Pokémon. We had to KO Dwebble right away.

Carrara dashed in and used Fury Swipes. She sprang backwards as Dwebble charged again. But she'd backed herself into a corner. And as she tried to leap over Dwebble, Dwebble hit her with a final Fury Cutter and Carrara collapsed.

I grit my teeth. For a moment, I considered sending Polaris out. I let out a breath and released Mamoru.

_Don't' let Dwebble near you. If he hits you' you're done! _

Mo nodded and pulled out his shells. As Dwebble charged, Mamoru used Razor Shell. Dwebble stalled and Mamoru dashed up and used Water Pulse at point blank. Dwebble rolled backwards and finally was down.

But then Burgh sent out Leavanny. I hissed a curse again. Mamoru had the type disadvantage.

Leavanny used Razor Leaf. Mamoru threw himself to the side and managed to avoid most of the leaves. He quickly dashed around and used Razor Shell.

Leavanny didn't even bother to dodge. Instead she snapped her arms out and knocked Mamoru's shells to the ground where he couldn't reach them. She used Strong Shot, and some of the sticky threads tangled around Mamoru's arms. He used Water Pulse, and quickly retreated, scraping the thread off against the ground.

We needed another plan.

And then I remembered one of Mo's new attacks. But he might not be fast enough to get in enough hits, and while also dodging most of her attacks.

Mamoru used Water Pulse again, to stall Leavanny. He followed up with several Water Guns until the ground was soaked and muddy.

Leavanny spun around to use Razor Leaf again, but Mamoru flung himself to the ground and skidded through the mud, dodging the attack and heading straight at Leavanny. He snatched up his shells and used Fury Cutter before pushing himself away through the mud. Leavanny made to chase him, but slipped on the slick floor with her long, spindly legs. As she tried to regain her balance, Mamoru slipped in and hit twice more with Fury Cutter. One more hit would finish our opponent!

But then Leavanny pushed herself forward and glided through the mud as if she were ice-skating.

Mamoru used Water Gun against the wall to propel himself away from her, but he wasn't fast enough to avoid Razor Leaf.

Wincing, he retreated across the slick mud and wheeled around to face Leavanny.

The two stared each other down. I didn't think Mamoru had enough energy left to withstand another Razor Leaf. If they charged at each other, he would probably take a direct hit.

Leavanny dashed forward. Mamoru threw himself onto his stomach and used Water Gun against the wall to gain momentum. As Leavanny used Razor Leaf, Mamoru aimed his Water Gun against a different wall, angling away from the attack.

Leavanny tried to stop, but started skidding across the mud, her arms flailing wildly. Mamoru sprang to his feet and dashed straight at her, using Fury Cutter for the final time.

And Leavanny went down.


	7. Spinning Debates

Maan, the Ferris wheel seen sure has become infamous among fans.

Polaris–Ponyta, Tsuki–Servine, Mamoru–Dewott, Tlaloc-Braviary, Carrara – Purrloin, Croatan - Whirlipede

Spinning Debates

As he'd promised, Burgh gave me a few pointers on my "art" (My human anatomy was what needed the most help).

Benga spent the rest of the day with us, and we accompanied him to the docks the next morning as he went to catch his ship.

And then Ben, Hari, and I continued north towards Nimbasa.

It was a hot, sandy trek through the desert. And really dry – the kind of windy dry that chaps your lips and makes your face dry. And when wind kicks sand into our face, it really sucks. We were only on a thin edge of a much larger desert (the rising golden sand dunes looked pretty beautiful from a distance).

It was a relief to arrive at Nimbasa and wash all of the sand off in the Pokémon Center showers.

And then…

"Theme paaark!"

Yeah, we'd been looking forward to it. And the three of us sprinted from the Pokémon Center.

"Race to the Ferris wheel!" Hari called as he pounded across the bridge, narrowly avoiding a collision with two startled girls. Ben and I dodged around them too.

I fixed my sights on the Ferris wheel and quickened my pace, panting and grinning.

"Hey!" Ben shouted as I pulled ahead of him and started gaining on Hari. Ben started gaining again (not surprising considering he's so much taller than me, with longer legs). Still, I might be able to keep my lead until we reached the Ferris wheel. Too bad I can't fly anymore.

Except at that moment, someone stepped in front of me. I hit the brakes and wheeled to the side to avoid plowing into the guy. I missed him by maybe 2 inches. I broke into a sprint again, shouting "Sorry!" over my shoulder. When I turned back to the front, Ben was way ahead of me. He and Hari jumped into the Ferris wheel seat. The compartment rolled into motion and spun upwards, out of reach, leaving me panting on the ground. Ben and Hari grinned triumphantly and waved down at me.

"Not fair!" I shouted, waving my fist at them. "I was obstructed!"

"Wow. My reputation must be pretty bad if I'm nothing more than an 'obstruction.'"

I wheeled around and found – yep – N. N was the guy that I'd almost flattened a couple seconds ago.

I stared at him stupidly for a couple seconds. "How are you here?" I asked. Such a smart, intelligent question.

N stared back at me and cocked his head. "I'm just traveling north. I came to see the Ferris wheel." He gestured ahead, where another compartment had come to rest, waiting for some people to climb in. "Did you want to ride?"

I hesitated, and walked up to take a seat. N joined me in the compartment, and we started to move.

N looked out the window and smiled. "I love Ferris wheels. The circular motion, the mechanics, they're like collections of elegant formulas."

I burst out laughing and N turned to me, startled.

"Sorry," I said, still grinning. "That sounds like something Ben might say. Especially about computers. He's amazing at computer programming and such."

N nodded silently. And for a little while neither of us said anything. I glanced at him, but he was watching the view of Nimbasa City and the desert beyond. So I did the same.

Finally N sighed. "I should tell you something?"

"Hm?"

"I am the king of Team Plasma."

I stared at him for a couple more seconds, and then started laughing again. I stopped when I saw N's hurt expression.

"What? Wait… are you serious?"

"Why would I kid about something like that?" N asked.

"Wait… wha, _seriously?"_

N nodded.

"King… You're in charge of _Team Plasma?_"

N seemed shocked by the obvious disgust in my voice. "Yes, I am. Ghetsis asked me to work with him to save Pokémon."

My shock slowly dissolved into disgust. "You're the one who's in charge of those horrible people?"

"Team Plasma is not horrible!" N exclaimed, suddenly very defensive. "We're trying to help Pokémon! In Nacrene, you said you also wanted to help them! Was that a lie?"

"The only thing I've ever seen Team Plasma do," I said, a hint of a snarl to my voice, "is hurt Pokémon and people. They stole a Lillipup from a little girl, leaving her crying. And they beat up my Blitzle. That guy even kicked her in the side! Hard!"

"I would never let Team Plasma do anything like that! Why would you say such things?"

"Well," I growled, "You claim to be in charge of these people, but you sure don't seem to know much about what they do. These are things I saw myself. You can talk to my Blitzle if you want. But I saw a guy In a Team Plasma uniform kick her hard enough to knock her over."

N was silent. It was the first time I'd seen him angry. But so what? I was angry too. Yeah, I never really saw eye-to-eye with this guy. But I figured that if he could talk to Pokémon that he would never do anything to hurt them. And here he was, saying that he was the one in charge of Team Plasma. I wondered if I could throw him out of the Ferris wheel without killing him.

N's cool voice caught me off guard. Apparently he got over anger much faster than I did, because he now looked almost as calm as usual. "I'll look into this. But I can't believe that anyone in Team Plasma would act to hurt a Pokémon."

I tried to get control of myself too. It wouldn't be much of a helpful debate if N was calm while I was screeching my head off at him. Considering every encounter with him so far had left me completely frustrated. "Look," I said, managing to keep my voice (mostly) even. "I'm an idealist. I like to think that things can end up great. That all problems can be fixed. And I wish that things could be close to perfect, even if nothing is ever completely perfect. I know that not every human treats Pokémon well. But … I don't know. Maybe people who are really awful to Pokémon shouldn't have Pokémon at all. Like Team Rocket. They don't deserve any Pokémon. And people who are in-between, well, maybe if they understand Pokémon better… but still! There are plenty of trainers and other humans out there who get along great with their Pokémon! And there are plenty of Pokémon who love being with people."

N smiled. "See? You just admitted that not all humans should be allowed to keep Pokémon."

"Sometimes. But that's not…" I broke off again. Why was it so hard to phrase these things in ways that made sense? "Look. Are you anti-Pokéball? Or are you against the entire relationship between humans and Pokémon?"

"Well, let's start with Pokéballs," N said. "The very act of catching a Pokémon is hurtful for the Pokémon. The trainer sees a Pokémon they like, and they simply attack it and try to catch it. They don't ask how the Pokémon feels about losing its freedom."

My mind flicked back to how I'd captured my Venipede. "It's a challenge," I said, defensive. "The trainer challenges the wild Pokémon. And if they win, if they manage to defeat the wild Pokémon and catch it, then that means the trainer is strong enough to train them."

"Just because a trainer is strong doesn't mean that they have a right to take a Pokémon's freedom without asking."

As I tried to think of a response, the Ferris wheel came to a stop and to door opened. N stepped out and I followed.

"My Pokémon would never chose to leave me," I told him. "And same goes for many other trainers in Unova, Kanto, Orre, and any other region."

N turned back to me. "Maybe. But the first step is to offer freedom to those Pokémon. I bet most trainers would never do that. Just in case it turns out that their Pokémon really do want to leave."

I wish I had debate responses planned out in advance. It's hard to think of convincing arguments on the fly. And I didn't want the conversation to go in circles, like the Ferris wheel. Endless circles, without ever reaching a conclusion.

N nodded to me. "I think I'd better be going. Perhaps we'll meet again?"

Without another word, he turned and walked away.

I stared after him. Yeah, I stared at him a lot today. It's hard to avoid that, with some of the stuff that comes out of his mouth.

When I turned, I found Ben and Hari staring at me.

"That green-hair guy came back?" Hari demanded, shooting an annoyed glance at the place where N had disappeared. He obviously hadn't forgiven N for saying that Pokémon and people should be kept separate.

"What did he want this time?" Ben asked.

I hesitated. Both of them already disliked N. What would they think when they knew that N was in chare of Team Plasma? "King" of Team Plasma. Really? Of all titles, why "King?"

N had seemed genuinely shocked at my accusations against the group. But I guess that doesn't say much about his leadership skills.

"Well," I said. "You know Team Plasma?"

They nodded.

"N's part of it. Apparently… apparently he's in charge of it."

Hari growled. "I knew he was no good."

Ben didn't say anything. He probably noticed that I was upset. Thinking about all this Team Plasma "liberating Pokémon" stuff got me all worked up. Ben at least was perceptive enough to realize that I needed to be distracted.

"Do you want to check out the gym?" He asked. "I hear there's a rollercoaster inside."

I gave a small smile. "Well, I do love rollercoasters."


End file.
